EXALT
EXALT is a secret human paramilitary society determined to seize power while the governments of Earth are distracted with resisting the alien invasion in 2015. They are the new enemy faction introduced in XCOM: Enemy Within. They conduct operations targeting XCOM starting in May (the 3rd month of the invasion). Agenda While not allied with the aliens, EXALT harbor transhumanist ideals and sympathize with the aliens' effort to evolve the human species; where others fear or resist the alien invasion, EXALT see it as their opportunity to acquire the resources they need to seize power. So, like XCOM, EXALT is operating in the shadows and endeavoring to recover alien technology and develop sophisticated human genetic modification protocols, but unlike XCOM, their ultimate goal is to establish a world government under their control. Strategy EXALT works to disrupt XCOM's activities as they see XCOM as a rival in the acquisition of alien technology and an impediment to the aliens' human experimentation. To this end, EXALT sets up sleeper cells in Council nations around the world; the cell's hidden presence magnifies the effects of any panic the country may receive. Furthermore a cell can go active, performing one of three different EXALT Operations against XCOM: Sabotage, steals funding from XCOM; Propaganda, increases panic in the country where the cell is located; or a Research Hack, reverses progress on the project currently being researched. To counter EXALT's activities, the Council provides XCOM with additional resources which can be accessed via a new Covert Operations menu in the Situation Room. Enemy Types In addition to the strategic threat posed by EXALT, the organization's paramilitary agents present a very real tactical threat during Covert Operations. The following EXALT soldiers may be encountered in the field: *EXALT Operative *EXALT Medic *EXALT Heavy *EXALT Sniper *EXALT Elite Operative *EXALT Elite Medic *EXALT Elite Heavy *EXALT Elite Sniper These paramilitary agents have abilities and equipment that match those utilized by XCOM. The Elite versions of each class not only have higher stats, additional abilities, and better equipment but also have been upgraded with extreme genetic modifications. These Gene Mods are unavailable to XCOM soldiers (with the exception of Depth Perception) as they apparently transgress Dr. Vahlen's ethical limitations on human experimentation. The EXALT gene mods also seem to be crude and less subtle, as some of the Elite agents are shown to have sickly, inhuman skin tones. Appearance All EXALT operatives wear business-casual clothing (white shirts and ties, occasionally a vest, matched with slacks or pin stripe pants) accompanied with gloves, tactical webbing, and red-and-orange striped bandannas that cover their faces. All EXALT agents also have tattoos on their arms; these are more clearly seen on the Elite soldiers who wear their shirt sleeves rolled up. Additionally, Elites can be identified by the chest armor they wear and the higher tech equipment they use. Technology When first encountered, EXALT forces utilize conventional weapons that equal those of XCOM. In fact, EXALT weapons retain the same stats as their XCOM equivalents despite their visual differences; EXALT small arms are dark-colored, sleek or angular, and have elements reminiscent of modern German firearms. These weapons can be recovered after a mission to be used by XCOM soldiers or can be sold via the Gray Market for each. As the game progresses, XCOM will encounter Elite soldiers who wear armor and utilize laser weapons and equipment that is also on par with XCOM's technology. EXALT Laser Rifles can be sold for each. EXALT Laser Sniper Rifles and Heavy Lasers can be sold for . Council members may request a stock of EXALT weapons in return for a larger cash bonus than would be received from a normal sale, similar to the alien technology requests. Stat Comparison Stats based on Normal difficulty: Notes *Elite EXALT agents with Alien Grenades will drop Weapon Fragments upon death, as they self-destruct the same as those carried by aliens; all other EXALT weapons do not fragment on the death of their wielders. *The fanatical nature of EXALT's operatives is reinforced by the fact that any agent stunned by an Arc Thrower will immediately commit suicide using a syringe of toxin rather than be captured. Causing an EXALT member to commit suicide grants the "Pain in the Neck" achievement. **Even though EXALT agents can't be captured alive, they do not have the Stun Immune ability as the Arc Thrower can still be used on EXALT agents. **Oddly the wounded EXALT agent encountered in the Council Mission Portent allows himself to be taken back to XCOM HQ; this could possibly have been before (or even the trigger for) the suicide directive being given to EXALT agents. **EXALT agents can still be Mind Controlled. Trivia *Unlike XCOM's soldier pool, there appear to be no female EXALT agents. *Despite using separate technology, a close up of either EXALT medic shows writing on their smoke grenade that reads: "XCOM SMOKE" (This is likely an oversight.) *The expansion designers decided against giving EXALT operatives a more conventional "special ops" appearance, partially because they felt that look had been overdone in media. More importantly, the designers wanted the look to represent that these men are not trained soldiers but secret agents and fanatics that presumably work day jobs but are ready to respond to EXALT's call at a moment's notice. **In addition, some see EXALT's "business-casual" battledress as an allusion to The Bureau: XCOM Declassified and its 1960s setting. *Although EXALT has an interest in psionics, as demonstrated during Operation Progeny, they do not develop the means to field psionic agents. *The EXALT laser weapons appear to simply be regular firearms upgraded with the tech needed to shoot lasers, rather than laser weapons built from scratch like the ones XCOM uses. *EXALT may maintain a fleet of helicopters for deploying reinforcements, as whenever more agents are deployed into a fight, a helicopter can be heard. *If panicked, EXALT agents stop using the encoded voice chatter and use the same "panicked" sound set as XCOM Security Personnel. *Another human organization that opposes XCOM, the Cult of Sirius, appears in the game XCOM Apocalypse. Unlike EXALT, it is a religious organization that believes humanity should submit to the aliens, which they consider superior beings. Gallery XCOM EW EXALT Squadbig.jpg|An EXALT squad Category:Enemies (XCOM: Enemy Unknown) Category:EXALT (XCOM: Enemy Within) Category:Organizations (XCOM: Enemy Unknown)